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Sunday, May 31, 2015

Olympic figure skater
Emory Lowe falls in lust the moment he lays eyes on his new neighbor,
hockey player Nikolai Vetrov. On the surface, Nik is a typical badass
enforcer, intimidating and dangerous, on and off the ice. The only son
of Ukrainian immigrants, Nik has been groomed from childhood to fulfill
his father’s dreams of seeing him in the Hockey Hall of Fame. Igor
guides his son toward that goal with a controlling—and abusive—hand,
steering him clear of anyone who might ruin his chances.

Although
Emory is the US National Figure Skating champion, he’s in-your-face
gay, and his audacious persona rubs Nik and his family the wrong way.
Raised by supportive and loving parents, Emory is Nik’s polar opposite
in every way but one—his desire to succeed. Underneath the fluff and
glitter beats the heart of a fierce competitor, and this side of Emory’s
personality begins to close the distance between the two athletes.

While
the attraction is one-sided in the beginning, Nik finds himself
responding to Emory’s flirting. But before the incongruous pair have a
chance at any sort of relationship, they must survive the pressures of
career, separation, and most importantly, Igor’s ruthless homophobia.

I’d like to thank Diverse
Reader for the opportunity to share an exclusive excerpt of my latest release Enforcing Emory. This novel is set in a new universe—Olympic
figure skating and hockey—so no catching up necessary. There’s an opportunity
to win a free e-copy of the novel or a gift certificate by entering contact
information in the Rafflecopter.Enjoy!

Excerpt

“One of the
requests I just tossed was a charity event the Wolves are having for the
Special Olympics. They want me to drop the puck at the start of a game to draw
a bigger crowd and raise awareness for the cause. What if I took it a step
further and offered to play? We can work it out so that the more goals I score,
the bigger the donations.”

“Have you lost
your damn mind?”

“It’ll be a
challenge, but you know I’m always up for that,” Emory stated.

“Why is it so
unbelievable?” Emory asked with a little more emotion. “I used to play hockey
way back in the day. The basics haven’t changed; I’m just rusty. With a little
bit of practice, I’m sure I can put on a credible show. If it’s a spectacle
people want when they see me, then I’ll give them something to talk about.”

“If you’re craving
attention, go on a talk show.”

Emory shook his
head. “You don’t get it, Dad. Everyone seems to have forgotten the man behind
the makeup. I’m an accomplished skater and have mastered the hardest elements
of my sport, yet I’m continuously referred to as that gay skater from Chicago.
There’s no respect for any of my achievements. If I ditch the diva and play the
hell out of hockey, then I’ll prove there’s more to me than fluff.”

“You’ve got hockey
on your mind because of the Ruskie. Where is he, by the way?”

“Toronto. He’ll be
home tonight.”

“Make sure and
mention this to him the next time you’re over there. He’ll tell you what a bad
idea this is. You’ll get clobbered for one thing, and you can’t risk that kind
of beating if you want to stay competitive in figure skating.”

“What if I don’t
care about figure skating anymore?”

“Don’t be insane.
You’ve invested your entire life in the sport, not to mention most of our
hard-earned cash. It’s time for some payback, kiddo. I’m not going to sit back
and watch you make a fool of yourself because you’re feeling like Rodney
Dangerfield all of a sudden. If you want people to respect you, then reinvent
yourself as a figure skater.

Review:I
remember last year when the Olympics was in Sochi. The riots, the
violence. When figure skater Emory Lowe (openly gay) goes in hopes to
win the gold he's faced with more than he bargained. Back home, his
neighbor and lover Nikolai faces life as an in the closet Hockey player
and an abusive and homophobic father. These two are put together and
pulled apart. I always felt like something horrible was going to happen
with each passing page. I was totally scared! Igor, Nik's father, is a
horrible man. He's the negative side of humanity while Emory's father is
the positive side. Emory's love for Nik gives him an amazing courage to
face who he is and embrace it. This is a sweet love story. I loved Nik
and Emory's dynamic and thoroughly enjoyed the journey to their happy
ever after.

Bio

Mickie
B. Ashling is the alter-ego of a multifaceted
woman raised by a single mother who preferred reading over other forms of
entertainment. She found a kindred spirit in her oldest child and encouraged
her with a steady supply of dog-eared paperbacks. Romance was the preferred
genre, and historical romances topped her favorites list.

By the time Mickie discovered her
own talent for writing, real life had intruded, and the business of earning a
living and raising four sons took priority. With the advent of e-publishing and
the inevitable emptying nest, dreams were resurrected, and the storyteller was
reborn.

She stumbled into the world of men
who love men in 2002 and continues to draw inspiration from their ongoing
struggle to find equality and happiness in this oftentimes skewed and
intolerant world. Her award-winning novels have been called "gut wrenching,
daring, and thought provoking." She admits to being an angst queen and
making her men work damn hard for their happy endings.

Mickie loves to travel and has lived
in the Philippines, Spain, and the Middle East but currently resides in a
suburb outside Chicago.

Using
Rafflecopter below, enter to win one of these prizes (contest open
internationally): a $20 Dreamspinner gift certificate, one of five ecopies of Enforcing Emory, or an audio copy of Fire Horse. Must be 18 or older to enter.